Company of the Week: The Prudential. By Annie Hayes
Helen Jackson, Director of Reward, Policy and Shared Services for the firm explains the background and successes of the ‘You Choose’ flexible benefits scheme. *Benefits stats*Benefits offered: DC pension scheme. Share Incentive Plan. Annual leave of up to 32 days. Retail/Leisure Vouchers. Personal Accident. Healthcare Cashplan. Private Medical Insurance. Childcare Vouchers. Holiday Vouchers. Dental Insurance. […]
Colborn’s Corner: We had to let him go …
The news this week that David Beckham has been dropped from the England squad for the forthcoming friendly with Greece may be of little interest to HR Zone members but it does raise interesting issues about how we treat those who are no longer required. The expression ‘We had to let him go’ was not […]
Corporate social responsibility: PR exercise or employee incentive? By Sarah Fletcher
Corporate social responsibility is becoming increasingly popular as organisations compete to prove they really do care about their impact upon society. Is this nothing more than a cynical PR exercise or does it really affect the bottom line? Sarah Fletcher looks at how CSR policies influence employee retention and productivity and asks if it’s really […]
Age discrimination forcing baby boomers into retirement, say TUC
New research from the TUC indicates that around a million people aged between 50 and 65 can’t get a job because employers won’t recruit older workers or retain the workers they already have by making adjustments.The report, Ready, Willing and Able, says the vision of early retirement as luxurious is a myth for many retirees.Of […]
Court appeals threatened
A new ruling from the Court of Appeal could see a cut in the number of appeals allowed from employment tribunals.The case McLoughlin v Jones is a professional negligence case that has been around, in one form or another, since 1998. But part of the judgment could have a knock-on effect for tribunal hearings.Previously, there […]
Small businesses struggle to cope with HR
Small businesses are struggling to cope with the demands of HR and are more likely to end up in a tribunal than their larger counterparts, according to a new survey.Peninsula Business Services polled 2,144 business in the Greater Manchester area.Findings included: 72 per cent of employers polled failed to issue staff ‘contracts of employment’ in […]
Any Answers: Slips, trips and falls
Kam Bains, HR Consultant at Higgs and Sons Solicitors responds to an Any Answers posting regarding compensation for a fall at work. The question:An employee tripped and fell at work and hurt his back. He tripped on a small tear in an anti-static mat. He saw a first aider and was taken home as he […]
Two million made ill by work
The final results of the HSE’s self-reported work-related illness survey have been published – revealing that two million people think work has made them ill – or made an existing condition worse.In total, the 2 million – of whom 600,000 became ill for the first time during 2004/5 – accounted for 28 million working days […]
Dealing with problem staff: Should we rule by fear? By Annie Hayes
Problem staff usually fall into two categories, those with below average performance and those with consistently poor records of attendance, finding the best way to deal with these issues has been a topic of debate since the advent of the employee-employer relationship; in this feature Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor reports on how HR professionals […]
HR Tip: Job share contract
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Q: “We have agreed to allow two of our employees to work part-time on a job-share arrangement. We feel we should set out the arrangement in a contract. What should we include?” A: Each […]
Opinion: Remedying short-term absence
Persistent short-term absences are frustrating for most, if not all employers but with the right approach this does not actually have to be a burden; this article explains some of the ways in which organisations can combat the issue. The first challenge is absence notification and having done many line management and employee focus groups, […]
Sector research into age discrimination published
The Department for Work and Pensions has published new research by the Age Partnership Group into sector-specific treatment of older workers.Nine sectors – Business Services; Construction; Education; Health and Social Care; Hospitality; Manufacturing; Retail; Transport and Logistics, and Other Community (eg media, sport, public services and the arts) – were examined with the researchers considering […]
Tackling the pensions gender gap
Tackling the pensions gap between men and women isn’t just about reforming state provision, it’s also about tackling the savings culture say ministers.With just 30 per cent of women retiring on a full state pension, compared to 85 per cent of men, the government has pledged to recognise caring contributions.But working women are still saving […]
What’s the answer? Car used for business purposes
Catherine Herridge gets legal guidance this week from Sarah Bird, employment law expert at Browne Jacobson and Martin Brewer, a Partner with the employment team of Mills & Reeve on where the liability lies, when an employee’s car used for business purposes, is involved in an accident. The question:Can you let me know who becomes […]
Insider fraud on the increase
Fraud by employees and managers now accounts for nearly half the fraud cases being brought to court, according to KPMG Forensic’s Fraud Barometer.The Fraud Barometer, which has been running for 19 years, considers fraud cases above the £100,000 level being heard in the crown courts.During the first six months of 2006, 123 cases worth £653 […]
Bosses told to ‘plan ahead’ for smoking ban
Employers are being urged to plan ahead for next summer’s smoking ban after research revealed unsuspecting bosses could be walking into a legal minefield.Croner research conducted earlier this year showed that up to a quarter of businesses misunderstood the basic intentions of the Health Bill, leaving them liable for prosecution when the Bill becomes law.Current […]
HR Zone Briefing #308 – Benefits: What’s the alternative?
================================================================ HR Briefing Issue 308 – 10 August 2006 http://www.hrzone.co.uk ================================================================ ********************** Featured Sponsors *********************** Managing risks – Free report http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/hewitt3a.html Dentistry – Complimentary white paper http://www.hrzone.co.uk/redirects/healthsure2a.html **************************************************************** Editor’s Note ============= From Honda’s race-finishing position bonus to HSA’s save to buy property scheme, employers are becoming ever more inventive in the rewards they offer to […]
Young workers claim age discrimination too
Young workers are more likely to feel their progression has been hindered because of their age compared to their older counterparts.The finding comes in new research by YouGov for insurers Royal & Sun Alliance (R&SA).A seventh (14 per cent) of young people, under 25 years old, felt discriminated against in the workplace due to their […]
Benefits: What’s the alternative? By Annie Hayes
With a tight labour market in our midst and fierce competition for key talent burgeoning, organisations are being forced into being ever more inventive with their benefits; in this feature Annie Hayes, HR Zone Editor reports on the range of ‘alternative’ schemes on offer in UK plc. Engaging the workforce:Charles Cotton, reward adviser at the […]
No price for failure at Whitehall
Top civil servants feel they are not held accountable for poor performance and that Parliamentary scrutiny of them is ineffective, according to new research published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr).Researchers were given unprecedented access to ten permanent secretaries and eight ministers in a year-long programme.A survey of senior civil servants obtained by […]
